Coil-winding machine



Oct. 26, 1965 D. P. wHrrAcRE colL-wINDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D60. 9, 1963 @6A/M0 10. 4V/7,4625

I N VENTOR.

F/e, l

Oct. 26, 1965 D. P. wHlTAcRE COIL-WINDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 9, 1963 00A/4Z@ #VH/7:4625

INVENTOR.

Oct. 26, 1965 D. P. wHrrAcRE 3,214,111

COIL-WINDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 9, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 BY n@ Oct. 26, 1965 D. P. wHlTAcRE 3,214,111

COIL-WINDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 9, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F/a, Z

P7619, BY

A TTU/@N575 United States Patent C 3,214,111 COIL-WINDING MACHINE Donald P. Whitacre, 1013 N. Margarita Ave., Alhambra, Calif.

Filed Dec. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 328,951 9 Claims. '(Cl. 242-82) This invention relates to the art of wire drawing and packaging and is particularly directed to a novel form of coil-winding machine of the type having a flyer mounted to rotate about a stationary capstan or deadblock.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a coil-winding machine of this type having improved means for controlling the diameter of the coils of wire which descend by gravity from the deadblock of the machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this type in which the cast of the wire leaving the machine is under accurate control.

Another object is to provide a device of this type in which the cast of the wire may be changed as desired, without stopping the rotation of the rotary-flyer assembly.

Other and more detailed objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation showing a preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view showing a random coil of wire deposited on the floor or upon a suitable carrier under the machine.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view partly in section taken substantially on the lines 3 3, as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the lines 4 4, as shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the lines 5 5, as shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a partial side elevation taken substantially on the lines 6 6, as shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a partial side elevation taken substantially on the lines 7 7, as shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the lines 8 8, as shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the lines 9 9, as shown in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE l0 is a sectional detail partly broken away taken substantially on the lines 10-10, as shown in FIG- URE 8.

Referring to the drawings, the frame generally designated 10 includes a rear panel 11 and side panels 12 and 13. The front panel 14 is relatively short and extends only a short distance below the stationary horizontal support 15.

A vertical shaft 16 is rotatably mounted in spaced bearings, not shown, contained within a stationary housing 17, mounted on the frame support 15. An electric motor 20 drives the shaft 16 through a variable-speed drive connection 21 and gearing, not shown. The driving speed from the motor 20 to the vertical shaft 16 may be controlled by means of the hand wheel 22 mounted in an accessible location on the frame 10 and connected through chains 23 and 24 to the variable-speed drive unit. The vertical shaft 16 has a central opening 25, and the wire 26 extends axially through this opening 25 after passing around the lead-in pulley 27.

A rotary-flyer assembly, generally designated 30, is fixed on the lower end of the vertical shaft 16. A flanged hub 31 is tixed to the shaft 16 by means of the key 32 and is held in position by means of a split retainer ring 33, mounted in a groove on the lower end of the shaft 16. A flyer plate 34 is iixed to the iianged hub 31 by means of suitable fastenings 35. The shaft 16, hub 31, and plate 34 rotate as a unit. Y

A bracket 36 fixed on the yer plate 34 rotatably supports a direction-changing pulley 37 having a groove 38 tangent to the axis of the rotary shaft 16. A wire 26 passes around the pulley 37 for substantially 270 and then passes in a general horizontal direction through the killer-block assembly generally designated 39, mounted on the flyer plate 34. This assembly is provided with a plurality of relatively small rollers 40 and 41, which cause the wire line to take a zig-zag course and thus remove or kill any residual axial twist remaining in the wire after passing around the pulley 37.

The lower rollers 41 of the killer-block assembly 39 may be moved vertically by means of thumb screws 42 and held in position by lock nuts 43. As shown in FIG- URE 5, the rollers 41 and 42 may be provided with a plurality of grooves in order that the wire 26 may be shifted to other pairs of grooves after the initial grooves have become worn through use.

An adjustable angular bracket 45 is mounted on a vertical plate 46, ixed to the iiyer plate 34. The bracket 45 includes an inclined arm 47, extending between pulleys 48 and 49. The wire 26 passes over the guide roller 50 and then around the pulleys 48 and 49. The pulley 48 is positioned to receive wire emerging from the killer-block assembly 39, and the pulley 49 is aligned with any one of the three pulleys 50, 51, or 52, rotatably mounted on the vertical post 53 (FIGURE 7). The pulley 49 may be raised and lowered by turning the bracket 45 about its pivotal support 54 and fixing it in the selected position by means of the clamp screw 55.

A horizontal swinging arm 60 is mounted to turn on the post 53, and this arm carries three cast-control rollers 61, 62, and 63, mounted for co-operation with rollers 50, 51, and 52, respectively. As shown in the drawings, the wire 26 is positioned to pass around the pulley 51 and then to pass behind the cast-control roller 62.

The radial position of the cast-control rollers 61, 62, and 63 is adjusted by shifting the swinging arm 60 around its pivotal support on the post 53. The arm 60 is pivotally connected at 65 to a nut 66, engaged by the adjusting screws 67. This adjusting screw 67 is rotatably mounted in a pair of bearing blocks 68, iixedon a lateral extension 69 of the tlyer plate 34. A star wheel 70 is iixed on a projecting end of the adjusting screw 67. As shown in FIGURE 7, a spring 71 mounted within one of the radial arms of the star wheel 70 urges ball 72 toward a ilat spot on the adjusting screw 67, thereby forming an overload-relief clutch connecting the star wheel 70 to the adjusting screw 67. From this description, it will be understood that rotation of the star wheel 70 in one direction serves to move the nut 66 radially inward, and rotation of the star wheel 70 in the other direction serves to move the nut 66 radially outward. By this means, the axial position of the cast-control rollers 61, 62, and 63 is accurately regulated.

Stationary capstans or deadblocks 75, 76, and 77 are iixed to the stationary support 15 by means of suitable fastenings 78 and 79. Each has a conical surface, large end down, and each is provided with a lower peripheral lip 80. The hub 31 projects upward within the blocks 75, 76, and 77 in telescopic relation. The blocks are of progressively increasing size; the lower block 75 is positioned to receive wire from the roller 50; the intermediate block 76 is positioned to receive wire from the roller 51; and -the lupper block 77 is posi-tioned to receive wire from the roller 52. Only one of the blocks is used at a time. Wire passing around the pulley 51 and behind the castcontrol roller 62 is wound on the outer surface of the deadblock 76 for a plurality of turns.

A friction roller 82, having a shallow groove 83 on its periphery, is mounted to Iturn on an upright stubshaft 83.

This stubshaft is adjustably clamped on a bar 84 which also carries another similar stubshaft 85. A splitting roller 86 is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the stubshaft 85 and is `provided with a pair of peripheral side flanges 87 and 88. The lower flange 87 rolls against the outer surface of the stationary block 76. A bracket 90 fixed on the bar 84 is -adjustably clamped to a horizontal rod 91, and the latter is mounted for movement about a ver-tical pivot pin 93 fixed on the upright carrier bar 94. The upright carrier bar 94 is fixed in any one of three locations 95, 96, and 97 to the swinging end 98 of the ypivot-support extension 99 on the flyer plate 34. Three Ypivot connections 101, 102, 103 are prov1ded for supporting the rollers 82 and 86 in co-operlative relation with any one of the three stationary blocks 75, 76, or 77.

A vertical plate 105, fixed on the underside of the flyer plate 34, serves as a backstop for the compression *spring 106, which urges the piv-oted arm 98 to swing about the vertical pivot 102. The force of the spring 106 may be adjusted by means lof the thumb screw 107. The force applied by the compression spring 106 is distributed between the rollers 82 and 86 by reason of the pivot in 93. p A wire line 26 passing behind the cast-controlling roller 62 forms a first convolution 26a adjacent the lower peripheral flange 80 on the surface of the deadlock 76. The next two convolutions 26b and 26a` are wrapped around `the stationary drum or block 76 as the flyer assembly 30 rotates with the driven vertical shaft 16. The roller 86 is positioned so that the fourth convolution 26d is sepiarated vertically from the first three convolutions by means of the flange 87 rolling in contact with the outer surface of the deadlock 76. The snubbing effect of the several convolutions permits the pressure roller 82 to maintain the wire line 26 against the surface of the deadblock 76 against slipping motion with a minimum of pressure. While four convolutions have been shown, a greater or lesser number may be employed, if desired, After passing between the pressure roller 82 and the deadblock 76, the wire 26 passes over the radial finger 110, mounted on the flyer plate 34, and then drops by gravity to form a random coil 11'1 on the floor or on a collector, not shown. The diameter of the coil 111 is determined by the diameter of the deadblock from which it was formed and .also by the cast imparted to the wire line by means of the cast-control roller 61, 62, or 63.

Means are provided for adjusting the position of the cast-control roller while the machine is in operation and without stopping the rotating flyer assembly 30. As best :shown in FIGURES 3 -and 4 of the drawings, this means rincludes 4a leve-r 115 mounted on a rock shaft 116 and carried in support bearings 117 on the frame 10. When the lever 115 is in the full-line position shown in the drawings, the star wheel 70 on the rotating-flyer assembly 30 passes by with clearance. However, if the rock shaft 17 is turned counterclockwise as viewed in FIGURE 4 by means of the control handle 118, the upper end of lthe lever 115 moves into the path of movement of the star wheel 70 around the axis of the shaft 16, with the result that one of the arms -of the star wheel 70 strikes the upper end of the lever 115 as it passes by on each revolution of the flyer assembly 30. Each contact with the upper end of the lever 115 causes the star wheel 70 to -turn the adjusting screw 67 through one-qua-rter turn, thereby moving the nut 66 radially and changing the cast in the line. The `direction of turning of the adjusting screw 67 may be reversed by turning the rock shaft 116 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 4, to bring the lower end of the lever 115 into the path of movement yof the star wheel 70.

In operation, the wire 26 passes around the lead-in pulley 27 and down through the hollow, power-driven rotary shaft 16. The flyer assembly 30 turns with the rotating shaft 16, and the wire passes around a series of pulleys mounted on this flyer assembly. The first pulley 37 delivers a wire to the killer-block assembly 39, which takes out any memo-ry, and the wire then passes around the positioning pulleys 48 and 49 to one of three pulleys 50, 51, or 52, depending upon which stationary block 75, 76, or 77, respectively, is being used. Assuming that 'the stationary block 76 is being used, the wire passes from pulleys 49 around pulley 51 and then behind the cast-controlling roller 62, which bends the wire for just the right Iamount to cause proper action on the surface of the deadblock and to cause the wire to fall by gravity into a coil 111 of the desired size. The killer-block assembly 39 eliminates any tendency of the wire to retain a helix angle in the co-il 111, so that the individual loops of the coil 111 tend to lie flat. The wire 26 may be cut at any time between the location of the radial finger on the flyer plate 34 and the coil 111, and the wire convolution which descends by gravity falls into place on the coil 111 with the proper cast to form the desired coil diameter and without any helix angle. As pointed out above, the control lever 118 may be turned in either direction to cause the cast-controlling roller 62 to be adjusted while the machine is in oper-ation and without stopping the rotating flyer 30.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I am not to be limited to the details herein set forth, but that my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a coil-winding machine of the type described, the combination of: a station-ary frame, a hollow vertical shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, a deadblock fixed relative to said frame and having an outer surface concentric with the axis of said rotary shaft, a flyer assembly secured to the shaft and rotating therewith, means including a plurality of pulleys on said flyer assembly adapted to receive a wire passing through said hollow shaft and acting to wind it upon said deadblock to form a plurality of convolutions thereon, and a pair of rollers mounted to travel around the periphery of the deadblock, one of said rollers having a flange rolling on the deadblock and acting to separate one of the wire convolutions from the others, the other roller rolling on the latter said convolution and holding it in contact with said deadblock.

2. In a coil-winding machine of the type described, the combination of: a stationary frame, a hollow vertical shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, a deadblock fixed relative to said frame and having an outer surface concentric with the axis of said rotary shaft, a flyer assembly :secured to the shaft and rotating therewith, means including a plurality of pulleys on said flyer assembly adapted to receive a wire passing through said hollow shaft and acting to wind it upon said deadblock to form a plurality of convolutions thereon, a pair of rollers mounted to travel around the periphery of the deadblock, one of said rollers having a flange rolling on the deadblock and acting to separate one of the wire convolutions from the others, the other roller rolling on the latter said convolution and holding it in contact with said deadblock, and common means for supporting said rollers on said flyer assembly.

3. In a coil-win-ding machine of the type described, the combination of: a stationary frame, a hollow vertical shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, .a deadblock fixed relative to said frame and having an outer surface concentric with the axis of said rotary shaft, a flyer assembly secured to the shaft and rotating therewith, means including a plurality of pulleys on said flyer assembly adapted to receive a wire passing through said hollow shaft and acting to wind it upon said deadblock to form a plurality of convolutions thereon, a pair of rollers mounted to travel around the periphery of the deadblock, one of said rollers having a flange rolling on the deadblock and acting to separate one of the wire convolutions from the others, the other roller rolling on the latter said convolution and holding it in contact with said deadblock,

a bar supporting both of said rollers, and means including a vertical pivot for supporting the bar on said flyer assembly.

4. In a coil-winding machine of the type described, the combination of: a stationary frame, a hollow vertical shaft rotatably mounted on said; frame, a deadblock xed relative to said frame and having an outer surface concentric with the axis of said rotary shaft, a flyer assembly secured to the shaft and rotating therewith, means including a plurality of pulleys on said flyer assembly adapted to receive a wire passing through said hollow shaft and acting to wind it upon said deadblock to form a plurality of c-onvolutions thereon, a pair of rollers mounted to travel around the periphery of the deadblock, one of said rollers having a pair yof flanges rolling on the deadblock and acting to separate one of the wire convolutions from the others, the other roller having a peripheral groove rolling on the latter said convolution and holding it in contact with said deadblock, and resilient means on the flyer assembly for urging said rollers toward said deadblock,

5. In a coil-winding machine of the type described, the combination of: a stationary frame, a hol-low vertical shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, a deadblock iixed relative to said frame and having an outer surface concentric with the axis of said rotary shaft, a flyer assembly secured to the shaft and rotating therewith, means including a plurality of pulleys on said yer assembly adapted to receive a wire passing through said hollow shaft and acting to wind it upon said deadblock to form a plurality of convolutions thereon, said means including a castcontrolling roller acting to place a reverse bend in the wire just prior to winding it on said deadblock, and means for adjusting the radial position of said cast-controlling roller, said means including a swinging arm supporting said roller and mounted for pivotal movement on said flyer assembly.

6. 4In a coil-winding machine of the type described, the combination of: a stationary frame, a hollow vertical shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, a deadblock fixed relative to said frame and having an outer surface concentric with the axis of said rotary shaft, a iiyer assembly secured to the shaft and rotating therewith, means including a plurality of pulleys on said flyer assembly adapted to receive a wire passing through said hollow shaft and acting to wind it upon said deadblock to form a plurality of convol-utions thereon, said means including a castcontrolling roller acting to place a reverse bend in the wire just prior to winding it on said deadblock, means for adjusting the radial position of said cast-controlling roller, said means including a swinging arm supporting said roller and mounted for pivotal movement on said flyer assembly, and means including an adjusting screw and nut mounted -on said flyer assembly for adjusting the position of said swinging arm.

7. In a coil-winding machine of the type deosribed, the combination of: a stationary frame, a hollow vertical shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, a deadblock iixed relative to said frame and having an o/uter surface concentric with the axis of said rotary shaft, a flyer assembly secured to the shaft and rotating therewith, means including a plurality of pulleys on said yer assembly adapted to receive a wire passing through said hollow shaft and acting to wind it upon said deadblock to form a plurality of convolutions thereon, said means including a cast-controlling roller acting to place a reverse bend in the wire just prior to winding it on said deadblock, means for adjusting the radial position of said cast-controlling roller, said means including a swinging arm supporting said roller and mounted for pivotal movement on said flyer assembly, a radially extending adjusting screw rotatably mounted on said rotary-flyer assembly, a nut cooperating with said adjusting screw, means connecting said nut to said swinging arm, and means on the outer end of the adjusting screw for turning it relative to said nut.

8. In a coil-winding machine of the type described, the combination of a stationary frame, a hollow vertical shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, a deadblock fixed relative to said frame and having an outer surface concentric with the axis of said rotary shaft, a iiyer assembly secured to the shaft and rotating therewith, means including a plurality of pulleys on said flyer assembly adapted to receive a wire passing through said hollow shaft and acting to wind it upon said deadblock to form a plurality of convolutions thereon, said means including a cast-controlling roller acting to place a rever-se bend in the wire just prior to winding it on said deadblock, means for adjusting the radial position of said cast-controlling roller, said means including a swinging arm supporting said roller and mounted for pivotal movement on said yer assembly, a pair of co-operating threaded members, one of the members being connected to said swinging arm, the other of the members being supported for turning movement on said yer assembly, and an element on said frame movable into the path of the latter said element as it rotates with the flyer assembly to contact and cause turning movement of the latter said member.

9. In a coil-winding machine of the type described, the -combination of: a stationary frame, a hollow vertical shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, a deadblock fixed relative to said frame and having an outer surface concentric with the axis of said rotary shaft, a flyer assembly secured to the shaft and rotating therewith, means including a plurality of pulleys on said yer assembly adapted to receive a wire passing through said hollow shaft and acting to wind it upon said deadblock to form a plurality of `convolutions thereon, said means including a cast-controlling roller acting to place a reverse bend in the wire just prior to winding it on said deadblock, means for adjusting the radial position of said cast-controlling roller, said means including a swinging arm supporting said roller and mounted for pivotal movement on said iiyer assembly, a radially extending adjusting screw rotatably mounted on said iyer assembly, a nut co-operating with said adjusting screw, means connecting said nut to said swinging arm, a star wheel on the outer end of the adjusting screw for turning it relative to said nut, and an element on said frame movable into the path of said star wheel as it rotates with the flyer assembly to cause turning movement of said adjusting screw in either direction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,929,575 3/60 Kovaleski 242-82 3,013,741 12/61 Bittman 242-82 3,023,977 3/62 Whitacre 242-82 3,064,919 11/62 Nye et al. 242-82 MERVIN STEIN, Pimary Examiner. 

1. IN A COIL-WINDING MACHINE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED, THE COMBINATION OF: A STATIONARY FRAME, A HOLLOW VERTICAL SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, A DEADBLOCK FIXED RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME AND HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE CONCENTRIC WITH THE AXIS OF SAID ROTARY SHAFT, A FLYER ASSEMBLY SECURED TO THE SHAFT AND ROTATING THERWITH, MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PULLEYS ON SAID FLYER ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A WIRE PASSING THROUGH SAID HOLLOW SHAFT AND ACTING TO WIND IT UPON SAID DEADBLOCK TO FORM A PLURALITY OF CONVOLUTIONS THEREON, AND A PIR OF ROLLERS MOUNTED TO TRAVEL AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE DEADBLOCK, ONE OF SAID ROLLERS HAVING A FLANGE ROLLING ON THE DEADBLOCK AND ACTING TO SEPARATE ONE OF THE WIRE CONVOLUTIONS, FROM THE OTHERS, THE OTHER ROLLER ROLLING ON THE LATTER SAID CONVOLUTION AND HOLDING IT IN CONTACT WITH SAID DEADBLOCK.
 5. IN A COIL-WINDING MACHINE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED, THE COMBINATION OF: A STATIONARY FRAME, A HOLLOW VERTICAL SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, A DEADBLOCK FIXED RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME AND HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE CONCENTRIC WITH THE AXIS OF SAID ROTARY SHAFT, A FLYER ASSEMBLY SECURED TO THE SHAFT AND ROTATING THEREWITH, MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PULLEYS ON SAID FLYER ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A WIRE PASSING THROUGH SAID HOLLOW SHAFT AND ACTING TO WIND IT UPON SAID DEADBLOCK TO FORM A PLURALITY OF CONVOLUTIONS THEREON, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A CASTCONTROLLING ROLLER ACTING TO PLACE A REVERSE BEND IN THE WIRE JUST PRIOR TO WINDING IT ON SAID DEADBLOCK, AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE RADIAL POSITION OF SAID CAST-CONTROLLING ROLLER, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A SWINGING ARM SUPPORTING SAID ROLLER AND MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ON SAID FLYER ASSEMBLY. 